Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1885-1890, 1887-01-08
ART EXTRAORDINARY.
Where Tattooed People I'm the mua
saunfs Come from.

tBoston Globe.1
Turn asclnd. Jim, and let them see
Che Crucifz,on."
Two men, seated on chairs, sat facing
each other in a room on North street.
One of them was dressed in a navy uni
form. His name was Elmer E.
zen named James Burke, and he was
dressed in o light and airy costume
of a pair Of trunks. There was
nothing more upon him in the
way of clothing. but he had
more decoration on his body than any
man in the state He was tattooed
from his neck down to his toe-nails, with
all kinds OF figures of men, beasts,
flowers, ships and shapes of every kind.
His thighs were covered with idols.
etc, placed there when he was in Bur-
nah, eight years ago. AL the rest Of
the work was new and has been put on
within o few weeks by Mr.. Getchell.
The figures were blue and red. ard the
various figures we're drawn in a skillful
and artistic style. IS the tattooed man
turned around, his back showed the
commencement of a picture of the Cru
c~ifixion, copied after the large steel
engraving by Hilton.
Il have a good deal to do on this
man yet. That picture will cover all
Of the back and extend around to the
sides. You see only the three figures
on the crosses now, but [ will work in
all the other figures that are in the
picture, and show the City of Jerusa-
lem In the distance"
How long does it take to tattoo Q
man, and what does it cost?"
4 did Frank Hadley In eight weeks,
but the length of time depends on the
length Of the sittings each day. The
cost depends a good deal on the size
of the man. 1t is less work to cover a
little man than one who tips the beam
st 800 pounds. / have been at this
business for the last five years, and
have tattooed Thousands of people. I
charge all the way from 25 cents up
to $500, according to the quantity and
nature OF the work"
us the operation a painful one?'
"Not at all. This pencil has nine fine
needles in it. I stretch the skin tight
and prick it-this way. 1t makes only
g slight itching. I never draw blood.
Just see how it feels"
He pricked the reporters hand. The
Eensation was not painful. Then he
resumed his work on the nan before
him, and remarked:
Il use the best of Chinese ink. It
costs 50 an ounce. For red | use pure
sermillion. l frequently cover up old
designs with new work. There is no
danger of taking cold or of any bad eff
fects at any :eason of the year. Some
men almost faint when / go to work on
them, but that is all imagination. There
is no pain. This man is being tattooed
for exhibition In a dime museum.
Had1ey has done well since I finished
him, and gets $50 a week in Cincin-
natl, besides what he makes from the
sale of his pictures.
children, too, are tattooed. They
are brought by their parents to have
initials and other marks put on them.
SO that they may be identified if lost.
Ladies bring pet dogs to have marks
put on the inside of their ears for the
same purpose. The oldest work I ever
did was the tattooing of the noses of
two bull dogs. The + noses were black
with the exception of one Or two spots.
and S these would bar them from
prizes at a show they were brought to
me to have the spots colored. [ did a
good Job, and they bore it like Chris
tians. It's o queer business. isn't it?
but it pays well, aud l have all [ can do
the year round, There is a good deal
Of art in getting the figures correctly
drawn In the skin, but once it is done,
the figure never changes. It [ draw a
picture on a child and he grows to be .
large man, the picture grows with him
and the lines remain as true as of first.
There are q good many who .aaks bad
tattoo work because they are bad
artts&s-n
Efleal q. E. Stewart Was Nominssssa.
Ben: PeIley Poore.
A. Z. Stewart, the New York sner.
chant prince, made large sales to the
government during the wal for the sup.
preston of the rebellion, and he dis
played his gratitude by making Mrs.
Lincoln handsome presents. He was
also a large contributor to the fund of
$780, coo raised by the merchants Of
New York for Gen. Grant, as an &C,
knowledgment of his Wal services; and
when the general was elected president.
Ar. Stewart was selected by him as the
man to reorganize the treasury depart
men:. prune off it's e-xcrescences and re.
form its abuses. Mr.. Stewart was de.
lighted with the order. and had q suite
of rooms iii the Ebbitt house, with a
private entrance fitted for his occEpa-
ton until he could go housekeeping. A
few days before the 4th Of March hs
came to Washington and occupied these
shree rooms, with Judge Hilton as biz
companion and adviser. After the IL
auguration, he was nominated by Gen.